Fiction, nonfiction, poetry, & technology book reviews, plus social, political, & economic commentary
Rod Davis’s New Addition to his ‘Jack Prine’ Private Investigator Series Offers Plenty of Action, Gunplay, and Southern Geography Labels can be attached to this new novel, the second book in Rod Davis’s “Jack Prine” private investigator series. For example, you might call it “Southern noir” or perhaps “grit lit.” Whatever. I call it “good … Continue reading East of Texas, West of Hell
Betrayal at Iga A Hiro Hattori Novel Susan Spann Seventh Street Books, paperback In this fifth novel in Susan Spann’s Hiro Hattori series, danger starts on page one and doesn’t let up until almost the very end. Set in 16th-century Japan, the series focuses on Hiro Hattori, a master ninja from the Iga province who … Continue reading Want some enlightening escapism? Try this ninja detective thriller set in 16th-century Japan
The Heavens May Fall Allen Eskens Seventh Street Books, paperback, Kindle In his third novel, The Heavens May Fall, Allen Eskens has created an engrossing tale built around two Minneapolis police investigations and a high-profile murder trial. In this book, fans of Eskens’s writing will be pleased to see that he has brought along three characters … Continue reading ‘The Heavens May Fall’ – A Minneapolis mystery-thriller – #bookreview
See Also Deception Larry D. Sweazy Seventh Street Books As I have mentioned here before, I love mystery stories where the investigator is an ordinary citizen, not a well-trained police detective or a struggling private sleuth beaten down by drunkenness, personal demons, and too many bad cases. The investigator in See Also Deception, the second novel … Continue reading ‘See Also Deception’: A good addition to the Marjorie Trumaine mystery series #bookreview
Rain Dogs A Detective Sean Duffy Novel Adrian McKinty Seventh Street Books – paperback, Kindle, audible Now that I have suckered you into this review with a question, I’m going to give you something of a cop-out answer: Rain Dogs is the best Sean Duffy detective story I have read…since the last Sean Duffy detective … Continue reading “Rain Dogs” – Adrian McKinty’s best Sean Duffy murder mystery? #bookreview
Woman with a Blue Pencil Gordon McAlpine Seventh Street Books – paperback, Kindle What if the characters in a mystery novel are alive in some other universe, and their world keeps changing, because their book, unknown to them, is being edited and rewritten? And what if one of those characters is … Continue reading ‘Woman with a Blue Pencil’ – Characters in a mystery novel that is being rewritten find themselves in conflict in a world that keeps changing – #bookreview
The Secret Life of Anna Blanc Jennifer Kincheloe Seventh Street Books – paperback, Kindle This feisty debut novel makes the case that it’s tough to be a female detective…especially in 1907. The Secret Life of Anna Blanc is a clever blending of mystery, murder, and social commentary, along with elements of a comedy of … Continue reading ‘The Secret Life of Anna Blanc’ – This debut murder mystery has everything from comedy to horror – #bookreview
Wrath of the Furies A Novel of the Ancient World Steven Saylor Minotaur Books – hardback, Kindle As a young student, I deliberately avoided the ancient world—all of those armless and headless statues, magnificent carved-stone structures collapsed into rubble, “wonders of the world,” and gods and goddesses who allegedly had both magical powers and … Continue reading WRATH OF THE FURIES: Roman detective Gordianus the Finder tries to go undercover amid angry Greeks bearing arms – #bookreview
The Survivors A Cal Henderson Novel Robert Palmer Seventh Street Books – paperback, Kindle What a swamp a single lie can lead to. Washington, D.C., psychologist Cal Henderson thinks this to himself while he is trying, years later, to sort out the real reasons behind why his two young brothers and father were … Continue reading The Survivors: A complex mystery unfolds in this good series-debut novel – #fiction #bookreview
The Guise of Another Allen Eskens Seventh Street Books – paperback, Kindle, Audio Book This engrossing, exciting new detective thriller by Minnesota novelist Allen Eskens has many startling twists and turns. It also has a dark soul. Under suspicion of corruption, Minneapolis police detective Alexander “Festus” Rupert has been reassigned to the Frauds … Continue reading The Guise of Another: A gripping thriller with a dark soul – #fiction #bookreview
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